Apparatus for sealing boxes



A. PAPE.

APPARATUS FOR SEALING BOXES.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 9. 1920.

- Patented July 11, 1922 2 SHEETSSHEET I.

A. PAPE.

APPARATUS FOR SEALING BOXES.

APPLICATION FILED APR- 9,1920.

' Patented July 111, 1922..

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

M Aimin PATENT Francs.

AMEND JPAI'E, OF WILLOW SPRINGS, ILLINOIS.

APPARATUS FOR SEALING BOXES.

' Application filed April 9,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AMAND PAPE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Willow Springs, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Sealing Boxes, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The invention relates to apparatus for sealing boxes. 5

The object of the invention is to provide an apparatus which is adapted to sealthe boxes in transit therethrough.

Another object of the invention is to provide improved apparatus for this purpose in which the flap-holding or controlling elements are stationary and act on the boxes as they are conveyed through the apparatus.

Another object of the invention is to provide apparatus for sealing boxes which is simple in construction and efficient in op eration.

The invention consists in the several novel features hereinafter set forth and more particularly defined by claims at the conclusion hereof.

In the drawings: Fig. 1 is a side elevation of an apparatus embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a plan. Fig. 3 is a central longitudinal section. Fig. 4 is a transverse sec-' -tion on line 44 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a transverse section on line 55 of Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a transverse section on line 66 of Fig. 3.

Cross-shafts 8 are mounted on a supporting-frame 7 adjacent theends of the frame respectively. Sprockets 10 and 11 are mounted on these shafts to operate endless chains 12 which are provided with pushers or flights 13, and this mechanism serves as an endless conveyor for pushing boxes 14 in longitudinal succession along the frame.

Shaft 9 is providedwith a belt pulley 15 for driving the conveyor.

of the endless-chains 12 are supported and run onthe frame and are held thereon by angle-iron bars 16 which are secured to, and in spaced relation to the frameby strips 17. The vertical flanges of bars 16 are spaced apart according to the width of the boxes 14 which are guided between them as they are advanced by the conveyor. n

The invention is more particularly adapted for sealing boxes which are adapted to hold a number of cans or other articles. which are usually formed of corrugated board, and comprise sides and ends which Specification of Letters Patent.

The upper reaches Patented July 11, 1192s.

1920. Serial No. 372,451.

have been secured together before the boxes are filled, end flaps 14 adapted to be turned inwardly, and side-flaps 14 adapted to be turned inwardly to lap the end-flaps and close the top and bottom of the box. These boxes are placed upon the endless conveyor adjacent the shaft 8 and between the guidebars 16, with the lower corners of the box resting upon the chains 12 so that the flights 13, as they encounter the boxes, will feed them forwardly. When these boxes are placed on the conveyor, the lower end- 'flaps 14* will be held in substantially horizontal position by the side flaps 143 which will be held slightly inturned by the chains 12. The upper end-flaps will be folded inwardly and the upper side flanges 14: will be free, usually extending upwardly, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 4. AS each box is advanced by the conveyor, its lower flaps 141 will be held and guided'by stationary holder-plates 18 so that the flaps cannot spring downwardly. A roll19 is mounted to rotate in and receive suitable adhesive from a tank 20 and to apply the adhesive to the central portions of the underside of the end-flaps 14 as the boxes move over said roll. The lower side-flaps 14* are folded outwardly and downwardly by stationary deflectors 21 so these flaps will clear the reservoir 20 and be separated from the flaps 14 while the. adhesive is being applied to the latter. After the adhesive has been, applied to the underside of the lower end-flaps 14 the lower side-flaps 14* will pass ofi the deflector 21 and engage the stationary folder-strips 22 which are convergent and adapted to engage the outer Side of flaps 14 to force thein upwardly to bring their edges together on the central line of the box and "to cause their margins to engage the adhesiwe on the lower flaps 14 The folderstrips 22 are secured to a cross-bar 23 which is suitably supported by brackets .24 fixed to the frame '7. The upper side-flaps 14" brushes 27 which apply a coat of adhesive to the inner faces of the margins of said flaps. flaps will be held. against downward move- 'ment by shoulders 28 on the bars 29 which are secured to the frame 7 and support said While under the deflectors 26, said deflectors and also the reservoir 20. An ad- I hesive reservoir 30 is provided for each brush 27. The brushes are pivoted, as at 31, and inclined to permit the upper side flaps to lift the brushes as they pass under said flaps upwardly and inwardly and as.

at 34 to thereafter force the flaps downwardly into contact with the upper endflaps 14 to cause them to stick together where the adhesive has been applied to the side-flaps.

While the boxes with the upper and lower flaps sealed are held between the folders 22 and 33 and before they leave the endless conveyor, they pass between a series of rollers to hold the flaps closed until the adhesive has set. For this purpose, a frame consisting of bars 37 and posts 38 is mounted upon brackets 24 and standards 39, and lower horizontal rollers 1-0 and upper horizontal rollers ll are mounted in longitudinal series to engage the tops and bottoms of the boxes and hold the flaps closed, and longitudinal series of vertical rollers 42 are mounted to engage the sides of the boxes.

The lower horizontal rollers 40 are extended beyond the upper rollers and side rollers to form a table or support from which the sealed boxes may be readily removed.

In operation, it is only necessary for the operator to successively place the boxes on the endless conveyor. As the flights 13 encounter the boxes, they will positively advance them longitudinally of the folding and adhesive-applying devices and the folding and sealing of the flaps will be effected while the boxes are in transit. Before the boxes are released from the endless conveyor, they will have passed between the retaining rolls. The succeeding boxes will force the previously sealed boxes through the retaining rolls whereby the sealed flaps will be held until the adhesive has set.

The invention exemplifies an improved apparatus or machine for sealing boxes in which the deflecting and folding elements for the flaps are stationary, in which the boxes are successively brought into cooperative relation with said elements, and in which the sealing is efi'ected while the boxes are carried through the machine by an endless conveyor.-

The invention is not to be understood as restricted to the details set forth, since these may be modified within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a box sealing machine, the ombinaeaaaoo tion of a conveyor adapted to receive and successively advance filled boxes and comprising members underlying the side margins of the box and] formed to leave the intermediate portions of the bottom of the box exposed with the bottom flaps between them, andmeans for folding the bottom flaps upwardly and between said members and securing them to seal the bottom of the box.

2. In a box sealing machine, the combination of a conveyor adapted to receive and successively advance filled boxes and comprising members underlying the side margins of the box and formed to leave the intermediate portions of the bottom of the box exposed with the bottom flaps between them, means for applying an adhesive to the bottom of the box between said conveyor members, and means for folding and pressing the bottom flaps to seal them to close the bottom of the box while the boxes are being advanced by the conveyor.

. 3. In a box sealing machine, the combination of a conveyor adapted to receive and successively advance filled boxes and comprising members underlying the side margins of the box and formed to leave the intermediate portions of the bottom of the boxexposed with the bottom flaps between them, means for applying an adhesive to the bottom of the box between said conveyor members, and means for simultaneously folding and pressing the bottom flaps to seal them to close the bottom of the box while the boxes are being advanced by the conveyor.

4. In a box sealing machine, the combination of a. conveyor adapted to receive and successively advance filledbboxes and comprising members underlying the side margins of the boxes and formed to leave the intermediate portions of the bottom of the box exposed with the bottom flaps between them, means to apply adhesive to the bottom of the box between the conveyor members, means for deflecting the bottom flaps while disposed between the conveyor members outwardly to clear the sealing means, and means for folding said flaps against the bottom to seal them after they have passed said sealing means.

5. In a box sealing machine, the combination of a conveyor adapted to receive and successively advance filled boxes and comprising members underlying the side margins of the box and formed to leave the intermediate portions of the bottom of the box exposed with the bottom flaps between them, means for applying an adhesive to the bottom of the box between said conveyor members, and stationary means for folding and pressing the bottom flaps to seal them 'to close the bottom of the box while the boxes are being advanced by the conveyor.-

6. In a box sealing machine, the combination of a conveyor adapted to receive and successively advance filled boxes and comprising members underlying the side margins of the box and formed to leave the intermediate portions of the bottom of the box exposed with the bottom flaps between them, means to apply an adhesive to the bottom of the box between the conveyor members, stationary means for deflecting the bottom flaps While disposed between the conveyor members outwardly to clear the sealing means, and stationary means for folding said flaps against the bottom to seal them after they have passed said sealing means.

7. In a box sealing machine, the combination of a conveyor adapted to successively advance boxes provided with upper side flaps, means to fold said flaps outwardly, means to apply adhesive to said flaps mounted to be shifted thereby, and means for closing said flaps.

8. In a box sealing machine, the combination of a conveyor adapted to successively advance boxes provided with upper sideflaps, means for folding said flaps outwardly, pivotally sustained adhesive applying means adapted to be shifted by said flaps and means for closing the flaps after the adhesive has been applied. 4

9. In a box sealing machine, the combination of a conveyor adapted to successively advance boxes provided with side and end flaps, centrally disposed means for applying adhesive to the end-flaps, means to deflect the side-flaps around said applying-means, and means for closing the side-flaps after the adhesive has been applied.

' 10. In a box-sealing machine, the combination of a conveyor adapted to successively advance boxes provided With'side and end flaps, centrally disposed 'means for applying adhesive to'end-flaps, stationary means to deflect the side-flaps around the applying means, and stationary means for closing the side-flaps after the adhesive has been applied.

AMA'ND PAPE. 

